Chapter 9

The gaze that once looked down on her trembled, and that was one satisfying sight to see.

I erased the smile I've put on my face and spoke with a low voice with a serious face.

"Do I need to point out every single thing? You know my throat hurts."

This was an expression mostly used by the high class nobles who have no higher class nobles to look up to.

For an example, the sword of the empire duke Eckart who doesn't have to look up upon anyone excluding the royals.

"I, I apologize, lady!"

The butler seemed to have understood the meaning of this as well.

He kneeled to the ground immediately, as if him standing stiff and confidentially in front of me just now has never even happened.

"That, I have made a mistake from the urgency in my mind. Please forgive me...."

Watching this scene made me feel refreshed. The feeling I had since the morning 'till before I went to sleep was now covered with the refreshing feeling.

For a brief second I had a thought maybe this was too much to treat a person this older than I am, but I still didn't tell him to get up.

That was because Penelope must've looked up to this person who's been ignoring her the past 6 years.

"... I think I'll be displeased if I had to face you for a little while from now."

I said, coldly looking down on the butler.

"Of course I don't think it's only me who feels that way."

I could only let the words I actually wanted to speak when I turned around so my back faces him.

"So if you have anything you wish to accomplish that involves me, sent someone else instead of coming yourself."

"But lady. The idea of picking the new maid wasn't my...."

"Yes, or no."

I coldly cut through his line.

"All I want to hear from you are either the two words."

"... Yes. I understand, lady."

The butler replied with a noticeably creased face.

"But what about the dinner...."

"I don't need it so get out."

Taking that as my last words to him, I turned on the spot without even seeing the butler rise from the floor.

Soon, I heard careful footsteps leaving the room.

Creak-. The door closed in a different manner that it was opened.

The room was filled with darkness again. I felt a wave of worry going through me right after, thinking back to what I just did. What if he reports every single thing to the duke?

"Well what can he do anyways."

Even so, there would be nothing he could do.

There were nothing I could do right at this moment, and I could repeat what I just did over and over again if it was to help reduce Penelope's feeling of unfairness.

Besides, it was just some scolding with words. I didn't make a fuss and throw anything and scream.

You could raise your fame while playing the game by improving the relationship with the people around you.

That later on helped you to unlock all 5 character's endings.

However I had no intention on doing it like how you would in the actual game.

Since I didn't need to see all the endings, it would be a waste if you waste your emotions on the people that had nothing to do with any of me.

'Fame, my ass. I'm already busy trying to maintain the current interests of the 5 characters to survive.'

All of these could only be done playing the game. It's too much work when its reality.

I closed my eyes once again, setting all my thoughts aside.

It was time to regain my sleeping time that has been interrupted by the butler and Penelope in my dreams.

***

Penelope seemed to be a diligent person judging from how my eyes opened so easily early in the morning without the help of a maid. This was a surprise when you think back to the personality Penelope had.

I got up from the bed and did a light stretching move.

Just then, someone knocked the door to my room as if they were waiting for me to wake up this whole time.

Knock knock-.

For a while, I sat still on the bed and stared at the door.

It was because I was curious if my warning last night had actually taken effect.

It became certain that it wasn't the butler knocking because the room door bursting open even after a while of no reply, didn't happen.

"Who is it?"

I finally opened my mouth and checked who came in.

"Lady, it's Reina."

It was the head maid. It seemed like my method I used yesterday had worked. It was a satisfying result.

"Come in."

Click, the door opened and a mid-aged women entered my room.

"Have you slept well?"

"Why did you come?"

"I've come for the lady picking the new personal maid. Do you have someone in mind by any chance?"

'There's no way there would be one.'

I didn't give an answer to the head maid's question.

Then she opened her mouth again to speak as if this was expected.

The next words that came out her mouth was of course not someone volunteering again.

"If you don't, then picking a new...."

"Who was the maid who served me before?"

"Are you speaking of Emily?"

"Ah, yes. Emily."

I asked, pretending to be curious.

"Was she fired from the mansion?"

"No, she wasn't but...."

"Then what is she doing now?"

Her eyes held questions seeming to ask why I was asking her such questions.

"... She was punished to do the laundry for 3 months from now, due to her not being able to serve the lady well."

"Is that so?"

"But why are you...."

Anxiousness started to show on her face as her mask of confidence started to fall apart.

'Looks like she knows briefly what happened then.'

Or maybe she was the real agitator hiding behind that maid.

I calmly spoke, setting these suspects aside.

"Tell her to just continue being my personal maid."

"... Pardon me?"

"It's uncomfortable since I don't have anyone to serve me this instant. Even though I pick one, they'll be amateurs until they learn things. If this is the case, the previous one who has experiences would be better."

If it was Penelope, she wouldn't have bothered to include these extra information.

However since this is my request, I decided to be more caring to this matter.

"If you understand, then I'll ask you to bring her up. I'll leave that to you."

I smiled at the speechless head maid who's jaws were dropped.

"H, however lady. The second young master Rennald also punished that child from her mistreatment to the lady, so...."

"So. You can't?"

"...."

I stopped her from her excuses and asked.

Then the head maid's mouth shut, being once again speechless. This was going well.

It's only been 2 days, and people in this house never did as I told them to do right away. I had to either scold or warn them.

'Is it always like this?'

The play with the ranks and titles were a must in a novel or a movie.

However in the normal mode, it wasn't really like that when you remember how all the people in the mansion would just listen to the heroine and does whatever she asks for.

I started to feel annoyed not even a minute after I decided to think of this as a positive change.

"It's best if you'd just do as I say when I tell you to...."

I even said 'I'll ask you to' and 'I'll leave that to you' in the sentence. These words added the meaning of trust and plead in the sentence. Did I really had to behave like how Penelope did?

"I told you that this is uncomfortable. If I told you to, then bring her up here. Or does the head maid want to serve me personally instead?"

"Then I'll bring her up after I ask for his grace's permission, lady."

It was a statement that she wouldn't do as I say till the end. I laughed from the ridiculous situation.

"No, you don't need to. I'll go see father right now myself."

I stood up from the spot.

"While I'm at it, I'll tell him on what exactly happened yesterday in detail, then I'll reveal that I've forgiven Emily."

"...."

"Where is father right now?"

"L, lady!"

The head maid's eyes widened when she saw me ready to go out anytime.

The case that had happened yesterday has been taken care of with a small punishment of one maid but if I were to get involved, then things could get complicated.

She abused the gong-nyuh. And one of the sons of the duke witnessed it.

"H, his grace has left to the royal palace earlier."

"is that so? Then later when he comes back...."

"I'll bring Emily right away!"

The head maid spoke in a panicked voice, worried if I'd go find father.

"I wasn't able to understand lady's mercy right away, being so old. I apologize."

Watching the bowing head maid didn't make me feel refreshed but rather bitter.

I wasn't going to raise my fame points by getting closer to people around me, but I felt like the fame I had right at this moment was reaching the negative.

"Should I bring Emily right now, lady?"

The head maid suggested, panicked but carefully.

"I hope this kind of thing doesn't happen again, Reina."

I spoke to her, thinking about how my day's already ruined.

"Leave."

***

Emily came into my room with breakfast in hand. She must've heard something intense from the head maid because she came up so soon after Reina left.

"L, lady. I'll prepare the b, breakfast...."

Emily's hands that was setting the food in front of me, shook badly. She seemed to have suffered a lot mentally from what happened yesterday.

It seemed like my crazy action of eating the rotten food last time was worth it because the food on the plates looked okay today.

Fresh salad and juicy steak.

'Looks okay on the outside.'

I didn't feel like eating it though, probably because of the shock my body felt eating the rotten food.

I slowly brought the food to my mouth, staring at Emily who was standing stiffly beside me.

Her eyes couldn't meet my eyes.

'Is she feeling any guilt though.'

She probably is dying to know why I chose her to be my personal maid again.

Without even finishing half of the food given to me, I called for Emily.

"Emily."

"Y, yes, lady!"

She, who was deep in her thoughts, jumped in surprise as she answered in a loud voice.

I reached one hand out to her.

"Hand me the needle."

"Huh? What...."

"The needle you used to poke me with every morning."

"Gasp!"

Emily reacted a second later she figured what I was talking about.

She would inhale sharply, then kneel down with a pale face.

"L, lady! I, I'm sorry! Forgive me!"

Thud, thud. She apologized while smashing her head on the ground.

'Really. Why did she do such thing if she was going to apologize like this?'

I felt ridiculed and at the same time, disgusted that I wasn't the person she should be apologizing to right now.

I felt my mindset of trying to treat her better, being cast off and when it did, a dangerously sharp voice came out my mouth.

"Didn't you hear from the head maid? I hate speaking of something twice."

"L, lady...."

"Hand me the needle."

~~~~~